The group already had earned a firm stamp of boy-pop success - dozens of fan Web sites with such titles as "The Erik Luver's Club,'' where smitten teen-age girls regularly gush about their hormonal yearnings.

Fairly standard boy-group developments. Except, of course, that all of this occurred before anyone had even heard O-Town's self-titled debut album, which was released Jan. 23.

That's because long before the music, long before there was even a band, O-Town was already a nationwide phenomenon.

The group of 19- to 21-year-olds - Ashley, Trevor, Dan, Erik and Jacob - didn't have to rely on its music to amass its following. The fan worship began almost a year ago, when Americans began tuning in to ABC to watch 1,800 would-be members of O-Town trying out for the singing group on a weekly reality-television series.

Every Friday night for almost six months, an average of 6.4 million viewers caught "Making the Band'' to watch the masterminds behind 'N Sync and Backstreet Boys choose the five members of O-Town from among the hundreds of aspirants, then train them for a big audition with BMG label J Records.

What audiences saw wasn't a polished boy band breaking onto the music scene with a catchy debut album and slick music videos to follow.

Instead, they witnessed five guys in all their ordinary glory - the silly squabbles, the bad hair days, the scratchy, raw voices badly in need of coaching. And apparently they liked it.

The debut CD "O-Town'' was expected to sell at least 150,000 copies in the first week. By comparison, 'N Sync's 1998 debut album sold a mere 14,000 in its first week, while Backstreet Boys' freshman effort sold 40,000 its first week in 1997.

Once, audiences latched onto bands after they'd at least listened to their music. But the O-Town phenomenon raises the question: Does a band really have to produce good music to build a lasting audience? Or is it enough to just start the cameras rolling and hook potential listeners by inviting them to watch the creative process, then selling the CD almost as a soundtrack?

Guy Zapoleon of Houston, a music industry trends consultant, said he's not surprised that audiences have latched onto O-Town so far.

"What this process says about our society is that, at this point in time, people aren't as concerned about the depth of character and the work put into being a band as they are interested in being entertained for the moment,'' said Zapoleon, whose clients have included 100 radio stations across the country. "They're not really caring as much about the quality.''

The idea for "Making the Band'' began when MTV Productions approached Lou Pearlman of Orlando, Fla. - who discovered, trained and managed Backstreet Boys and 'N Sync - about having a camera crew follow him during his next nationwide talent search for a new boy band.

After several discussions, Pearlman and MTV hatched the idea for a reality-TV series that would track not just the talent search but also the shaping of the band.

In addition to discovering the two reigning champs of boy-band pop, Pearlman also is responsible for unleashing Britney Spears on the world. So Pearlman, founder and CEO of Transcontinental Records, has a pretty good sense of what the teen market wants. And right now, he thinks they want to get behind the scenes.

"The show gets you to know them better, so they're like the boy-next-door kind of thing,'' Pearlman said.

The O-Town formula already has inspired at least one copycat. WB's "Popstars,'' which premiered in January, is a girl-group version of "Making the Band.''

By watching O-Town practice, live, eat and play together, audiences learned much more about its members than they ever could gleaning the usual boy-band tidbits from teen magazines like Tiger Beat.

"I had a really dramatic talk with my dad on camera in one episode because he never wanted me to go into the entertainment industry,'' said O-Towner Ashley Parker Angel, 19, of Redding, Calif. "I actually had fans come up to me and ask, 'How are you and your dad? How's that going?' because so many people watched me in my kitchen talking with my parents.''

At least in some quarters, Pearlman's theory about attracting teens by taking them "behind the music'' even before there is any music seems to be paying off.

Shannon Hubbard, a 17-year-old high school junior in Los Angeles, professes to be a huge fan of both Backstreet Boys and 'N Sync. But it wasn't until she got hooked on watching the trials and tribulations of O-Town in "Making the Band'' that she decided to construct a fan Web site: www.geocities.com/otownsfans.

Hubbard's site, which went up in June, logged an average of 18,000 hits and drew about 2,000 e-mails from fans every day - long before the group's debut album hit the stores.

"I like their determination,'' Hubbard said. "When they first started the show, they struggled and they weren't instantly good. But having seen the way they came together ... it's a big inspiration.''

But what about the music, she was asked. Hubbard still hadn't heard O-Town's new album, but she gushed that even if she finds them lacking in the musical ability department, she won't be swayed.

"My devotion to them is great, and I'll stick around to watch them mature,'' Hubbard said. "Even if I'm not thrilled with the music the first time around, I'll be as devoted until the next album is released. They've won my heart and the music is a benefit.''

As for whether O-Town can achieve long-term success, Zapoleon said he's skeptical. He predicts that the life cycle of current boy bands is limited because interest in this peppy brand of pop music is waning, in accordance with the music industry's 10-year cycle.

"It's 1989 all over again, when people like New Kids On The Block and Tiffany were replaced by Belle Biv Devoe and MC Hammer,'' he said. "The whole teen-pop phenomenon has peaked and is starting to decline. ... Audiences are going to want more extreme rhythm and more extreme rock. The new pop will be people like Pink and Destiny's Child.''

For boy bands like O-Town, he predicts maybe another year of popularity.

Of course, Pearlman, MTV and ABC will be doing all they can to keep that window of fame and fortune open longer.

With the album now out, the aggressive marketing of O-Town marches on. Next month, when the band begins touring, TV cameras will again track them. And fans like Shannon Hubbard will soon be able to tune into "Making the Band 2.''